Of Cactuses and Interludes
by mythweaver1
Summary: FFIV Post-game. Interlude. Non-cannon. V-day fic-a-thon entry! Rumor has it, there's a celebration happening in Damcyan. But two of its guests are busy stirring up rumors of their own...


**A/N: Another entry for the V-day fic-a-thon, lol. THIS particular idea...to be honest, I can't remember how it began...but it somehow morphed into this. This could be seen as WHAT REALLY happened to Edge and Rydia that made them not show up in Damcyan during the "Interlude" between the original game and TAY. No, this is not cannon.**

**The prompt for this is "first night" ;)**

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Of Cactuses and Interludes

It had already been a long enough day Edge decided, tapping sand out of the heel of his boot as he and Rydia paused to rest at the gates of Kaipo.

"Cecil told me we were to meet here," Rydia insisted, frowning at a crumpled letter she had removed from her bundle of belongings.

Edge deemed this statement irrelevant, and scowled instead at his boot where more sand than seemed possible was cascading to the ground. "Only Cecil would suggest a place where airships can't land," he grumbled

"In any case, thank you for offering to bring me along," Rydia told him, staring in bemusement at the mound of sand beneath his foot.

Edge glanced at her, remembering at last to be considerate. "It was my pleasure," he assured her with a roguish smile, causing her to narrow her eyes. "It worked out well, anyway," he said more seriously. "Considering you and I both had _things _to do."

Rydia grinned. Out of their circle of acquaintances, they were the two who were habitually tardy. Which—she'd been told—had become rather suspicious. "Late as usual," she agreed, and then regarded him sharply. "What was _your_ excuse?"

Edge put his boot back on and leaned against the city wall. "Training," he answered with a lopsided smile. "What was yours?"

"Had to dig new irrigation ditches for the village," she replied honestly, her elfin brow furrowing at the thought of the project she'd now left in the hands of others.

Edge stared back at her in surprise. "You win," he grumbled, feeling outdone.

"Shall we?" Rydia asked, standing up.

Edge followed her through the village gates and was immediately assaulted by a crowd. There were men, women, and children packed into the small town, but none were looking in their direction—a fact that Edge simultaneously blessed and cursed. Did no one recognize who had just stepped into their midst?

Edge's eyes swiftly recognized the plain clothes worn by the people and the atmosphere of frivolity and chaos. He looked at Rydia dubiously.

"Something tells me the celebration was notto be held here," he remarked, annoyed at being bumped into by a spastic child.

"Why do you say that?" Rydia asked innocently.

Edge nodded to the gathered crowds. "No guards—no military presence. And there's a disturbing lack of well dressed nobles."

Rydia arched a brow and looked back at the crowds. "Then why is everyone here?" she asked.

"They're probably planning on making their way to the castle tomorrow to catch a glimpse of the proceedings."

Rydia was genuinely surprised when she turned to look at him. "This many people would want to see—_us?_"

"The joys of fame," Edge answered gloomily.

"So...we need to get to Damcyan," Rydia realized, looking over her shoulder at the desert they had just crossed.

Edge glared at the desert with her. "Which means we either return to the airship _or _we continue onward."

Rydia sighed, not fond of either choice. "The waterways take a day to cross, at least," she told him. "And we've already walked so far in one day..."

"I'd rather not have to liberate another desert from my boots today," he remarked.

Rydia looked back at him meaningfully. "The inn?" she suggested.

"The inn," he agreed, leading Rydia through the crowds toward the largest building in the town.

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They entered the inn, dodging the guests who had already imbibed enough of the local "cactus juice" to be jolly, and were now milling about with plates of food and chatting about the coming festivities. Edge angled his way toward the service counter, wanting very much to make demands.

Rydia had insisted that they keep their status and titles quiet; and Edge sighed, having to ignore the comments of one on-looker that the King of Eblan and the High Summoner of Mist couldn't _possibly _be so stupid to get lost on their way to Damcyan.

"You made a promise to me," she reminded him. "We are no more important than anyone else here."

Edge stared back at her, annoyed, and then turned his attention to the innkeeper.

"What can I do for you? The man asked, looking equal parts haggard and frantic.

"We're looking for rooms," Edge said. "Two rooms."

The man stared at Edge as if he'd just asked for a unicorn jumping over a rainbow. "Two, you say?" the man laughed. "Those were rented days ago. I've got thirty beds here, and all thirty are taken. The man across the way rents out a few spare rooms when visitors come to call, but he's also full-up. You could _try _the couple in the far corner of town, but it's slim pickings with half the kingdom gathered here for the great event."

Rydia reached out and gripped Edge's arm instinctively, a physical reminder to keep his mouth shut.

"Thank you for your time," Edge told the other man through gritted teeth.

"And to you," the man told them, swiftly turning to deal with clerical matters.

Edge and Rydia left the premises—one of them with long, irritated strides—and regrouped behind the inn.

"It's getting dark," Rydia pointed out.

"He gave us a few options," Edge contemplated, crossing his arms. "They might be worth looking into."

Rydia knew Kaipo better, and so she led the way. They tried the man across the way, and they tried the couple in the corner of town. No one had one room, let alone two, for the both of them.

"This leaves us exactly where we were before," Edge complained. "Either we return to the airship or we walk through the waterway."

"Or," Rydia said, brightening. "We could sleep under the stars. It's a beautiful evening."

Edge looked at her with his eyes narrowed. "And where would we do this?" he asked.

"We could find a place by the water," she suggested.

"What about the sahagins?" he asked.

She frowned. "A little away from the water, then," she amended.

"I'm not sure if most people would appreciate free-loaders on their...lawns," Edge told her, his eyes searching their surroundings for a suitable place to set down for the evening.

"Stop looking for excuses and start finding solutions," she huffed. "My feet are tired, and I'm exhausted."

"Yes, High Summoner," Edge relented, grinning at her.

This time Edge led them through the town; which, remarkably, had grown in the last two years. It now encompassed three quarters of the oasis, and despite this, had only one inn to offer. They had already been assured that all the other homes had taken on occupants for the celebration, and had they arrived days earlier, they might have found something. Now, they were at the mercy of the elements and the generosity of anyone who had ten feet of lawn to spare.

After finding one such "lawn" relatively close the water but far enough away to discourage water dwellers from accosting them during the night; the two of them set down their packs and sat down on the hard ground.

"I could have found us rooms, you know," Edge told her seriously.

Rydia, to her credit, was appearing to enjoy herself. "On such a clear night as this?" she asked. "You can see the moon perfectly from here!"

"Yes, and come morning, the blazing sun," he retorted.

She glared at him. "You are such a kill-joy."

"Hey!" a surly man's voice shouted out to them from behind the cactus they were employing as a physical shield between them and the nearby house.

"I don't know who's out there, but just because there's a shindig happening at the castle, doesn't mean you can sleep anywhere you like!" the man bellowed, his voice carrying surprisingly well over sand and water.

"Time to go," Edge whispered, pulling Rydia to her feet and dashing off into the darkness to find another place to rest.

"And stay off my plot!" the man's voice threatened behind them.

They fled the area until they were sure enough distance was between them and the irate townsperson, and finally slowed to a tired walk.

"I don't remember the people of Kaipo being so unfriendly," Rydia said sourly, her gait pained from having walked on uneven ground all day.

"There's a park over there," Edge suggested, pointing to a circular patio hedged in by a grove of palm trees.

They walked in that direction, relieved to find several benches set about the patio. Edge raised a brow, surprised that no one else had taken advantage of the ample accommodations for the night. Surprised, and more than a little suspicious.

Rydia approached the nearest bench, and stretched her body across the full length of it. "At last!" she sighed, propping her feet up on the armrest.

Edge smiled, hopelessly shaking his head. "You always did find comfort in the oddest things," he told her, sitting down on the bench beside hers and taking a moment to look at the stars. They were crisp and clear, winking in the vast expanse of the sky.

Rydia must have been looking at them too, because she piped up just as his own thoughts turned to their adventure the year before. "Do you find yourself thinking about it often?" she asked quietly.

Edge crossed his arms, not precisely sure what he was supposed to think about "it" and "then".

"Sometimes," he replied finally.

"I wonder what's become of FuSoYa and Golbez," Rydia ventured, sounding unsure.

"So long as their dealings never interfere with ours again," Edge replied, feeling a frown tug down the corners of his mouth.

"We only just found out the true origins of the Twin Moon," she went on. "We _stood _on it, and now it's gone as if it never existed," she said.

They were both quiet for a moment.

"Its players certainly did enough damage in a short amount of time," Edge said bitterly.

Rydia sighed and sat up to look at him. "But that's precisely why we're here, isn't it?" she asked. "We're here to celebrate the rebuilding."

Edge glanced back at her in the moonlight. "Yes," he acknowledged, reluctantly. "It is why we're here—or, rather, where we should have been," he said, his frown quirking into a grin.

She recognized his change of mood and grinned wisely back at him. "We never could be where we were supposed to be," she laughed.

"Your fault, usually," Edge reminded her.

"Mine?" she scoffed.

He sighed a long-suffering sigh. "Or do I need to remind you of the Lunar Whale; or our first behemoth battle? And then there was that Blue Dragon you almost let devour Kain because you were busy daydreaming..."

Rydia pursed her lips. "You were the one who was touching ancient relics you had no business inspecting."

"Admit it, you like that whip," he challenged.

"I _do _like that whip," she conceded. "And I suppose," she added upon reflection. "That I've never really seen the benefit of punctuality."

"Punctuality is only for those who have nothing better to do beforehand," Edge answered automatically.

"And at least misadventure is good fodder for stories," Rydia agreed, stretching her arms behind her head again.

They sat in silence for several long minutes, listening to the sounds of the night and looking up at the stars, enjoying each other's company. But their calm didn't last for long.

"You there!" a town guardsman shouted to them from across the patio. "Troubadours are not welcome after nightfall unless they are dropping coin at one of the local establishments. You'll have to sleep outside the city gates tonight!"

The man raised his hand to his mouth, threatening to blow his whistle and alert the rest of the local constabulary of free-loading vagabonds.

"Tough market for bards," Edge remarked, standing reluctantly before the guard could blow his whistle, and wanting very much to do violence. After all, it had been nearly eight hours since he'd eaten, and this whole business of finding a place to rest was now having an adverse affect on his temper.

The constable watched them until they had rounded the corner and left the park; and, approaching the inn from the opposite direction as before, Edge suddenly pulled Rydia forward at a run.

"What are you doing?" she hissed.

"Observe," he said, leading her behind the inn where a wooden lattice was propped up to the building's second story.

"I doubt the locals would think to look up there," he said, nodding to the flat roof of the inn.

"On the roof?" Rydia was incredulous.

"Unless you'd rather spend it on the sand outside of the city," he reminded her.

She stared at the vines that had choked out most of the lattice, wondering if there were thorns. "You want me to climb that," she said, dubiously.

"Or I could always walk right into the inn demanding rooms on account of my irrefutable kingly-ness."

Rydia glanced at him, unimpressed. "You will not," she scolded him, and then paused to stare at the lattice again. "You'll catch me if I fall, right?" she asked in a quiet voice.

He offered her a lopsided grin, seeing her stubbornness had prevailed again. "Of course."

After what took a considerable amount of finesse and skill, the two of them climbed atop the roof, more exhausted than before.

They both sprawled atop the still-warm rooftop, breathing hard.

"Thank you, Rydia," Edge complained between breaths, "for this splendid opportunity to commune with nature."

Rydia slid her gaze irritatedly sideways, too tired to hit him. "It wouldn't be fair to force it upon someone else," she reasoned. "These people have had it hard."

Edge's reaction was bland.

"Your village—my entire kingdom," he pointed out.

She grimaced. "Yes—but—"

"Oh, it's fine," he sighed. "It's not as if we didn't sleep on hot coals in the underworld, or the lumpy rocks on the moon, or the cold tile of the lunar subterrane..."

Rydia glared at him. "You're so dramatic," she complained. "I'm sure you've more than made up for it."

"A spine never forgets, Rydia. Never," he told her, and then grinned with a sudden revelation.

"What?" Rydia asked nervously, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

"We haven't spent a night together since then, have we?" he asked.

Rydia frowned, wondering where this was going. "No, we haven't," she admitted.

Edge laughed. "Our first night alone," he realized. "And this is how we spend it."

Now Rydia _did_ flail her arm in a lazy attempt to smack him on the shoulder. He only grinned in response.

"How do you intend that we explain this adventure of ours?" he asked.

Rydia blushed, comprehending their situation at last. "You wouldn't dare imply that we-" she stammered. "That we—"

"Spent the night under the stars?" he ventured. "Gazing deeply into each other's eyes and reminiscing about our shared and not-so-distant pasts?"

"Shut up, Edge," Rydia said, rolling her eyes.

"You're the one who got us into this situation," Edge whispered back to her, amused.

"_Fine_," she hissed. "I admit that I am mostly to blame for this."

"And this has taught you what, exactly?" Edge asked.

"To get directions from Rosa," she answered determinedly.

"Wrong," Edge corrected her, laughing. "Next time, we arrange to be late indefinitely. And _next _time, I'm booking a room in advance."

"_A _room?" she asked incredulously, though it did make her crack a smile. "Subtle, Edge."

"I thought so," he replied, grinning mischievously.

Rydia sighed, exasperated. "I suppose the only way to avoid an explanation tomorrow, is to not arrive at all," she concluded.

"Play hooky?" Edge asked.

It was Rydia's turn to grin. "Besides, the next time you'll have a chance to use this story, could be years from now—when next you _deign _to grace us all with your presence—and by _then, _no one will believe it."

Edge looked back at her with a bemused expression, a look she returned and held.

"Good night, Rydia," he announced finally, turning away from her.

She grinned triumphantly. "Good night, Edge" she told him, turning the opposite way. "And I promise I won't spread the counter rumor that you have no sense of direction and weren't able to impress anyone into giving you a room for the night."

"…Fair enough."

~Fin~

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A/N: So. Very silly and irreverent, but fun all the same. Thank you for reading! :)

~Myth


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